South Carolina

Earthquake History

An estimated $23 million damage
was caused by one of the great earthquakes
in United States history in 1886.
Charleston, South Carolina, and nearby cities suffered
most of the damage, although
points as far as 160 kilometers away were
strongly shaken. Many of the 20 earthquakes
of intensity V or greater
(Modified Mercalli scale) that centered within
South Carolina occurred near
Charleston. A 1924 shock in the western part
of the State was felt over 145,000 square kilometers.
Several earthquakes outside the State
borders were felt strongly in South
Carolina.

The August 31, 1886,
Charleston
earthquake was initially perceived in that city
as a barely
perceptible tremor, then a sound like a
heavy body rolling along; the sound
became a roar, all movable objects began
to shake and rattle, and the tremor
became a rude, rapid quiver. The first
shock was at 9:51 p.m. and lasted 35
to 40 seconds. A strong aftershock
occurred 8 minutes later. Six additional
shocks followed during the next 24
hours. Few buildings in the city escaped
damage and many were totally destroyed.
Chimneys of at least 14,000
houses were destroyed in Charleston.
The maximum intensity has been estimated
at X.

An estimated 60 persons were killed
by falling buildings and many more
were injured. Within a radius of 160
kilometers, the cities of Columbia, South
Carolina and
Augusta and Savannah, Georgia, also
experienced damage. The total area
affected by this earthquake covered more
than 5 million square kilometers and
included distant
points such as New York City,
Boston, Milwaukee in the United States
and Havana, Cuba, and Bermuda. All
or parts of 30 states and Ontario, Canada,
felt the principal earthquake.

Two strong aftershocks were reported
on October 22, 1886, and another
on November 5. The first of these
was felt (intensity VI) at Charleston,
at Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia,
and at other towns. The second shock
was intensity VII at Summerville.
which received significant damage
from the August 31 earthquake.
Another tremor caused intensity VI effects
on November 5 at Charleston and was
felt over the same area as the previous
aftershocks. The total felt area covered
approximately 78,000 square kilometers.

On January 23, 1903, houses were
shaken strongly (intensity VI) in the
area of the South Carolina - Georgia
border near Savannah. Intensity IV - V
effects were noted at Charleston, III - IV
at Columbia, and III at Augusta, Georgia.

A moderate shock affected Charleston,
Augusta, and Savannah on April 19,
1907. Dishes rattled and objects
were thrown from shelves throughout
the 26,000 square kilometer area. A somewhat
stronger earthquake caused some damage
to chimneys (intensity VII) at
Summerville on June 12, 1912. The
shock was felt at Charleston with
intensity VI and also was felt as far as
Brunswick and Macon, Georgia; Greenville,
South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, an
area of about 90,000 square kilometers.

The Union County area was shaken
with an intensity VI - VII earthquake
about 6 months later (January 1, 1913).
At Union, cracks appeared in
many brick buildings and many chimneys
were damaged. The total felt area,
roughly elliptical in shape, covered
approximately 111,000 square kilometers.

Another earthquake affected the
Summerville area on September 22, 1914.
Pictures on walls were displaced
(intensity V). The shock was preceded
by a noise like a train approaching
from a distance. The shock was felt
(intensity IV) at Charleston and with less
intensity at Augusta, Macon, and
Savannah, Georgia, an area of about
78,000 square kilometers.

Pickens County was the apparent
center of an October 20, 1924, earthquake
which shook most of South
Carolina and western North Carolina,
northeastern Georgia, and eastern
Tennessee. The area affected was
approximately 145,000 square kilometers.
Highest intensities were reported at Pickens,
Walhalla, Brevard, and Hendersonville,
North Carolina. Buildings were shaken,
and furniture was overturned (intensity V).
A loud roar accompanied the shock.

On July 26, 1945, an earthquake
centered in the vicinity of Lake Murray,
about 50 kilometers west of Columbia,
was felt over 65,000 square kilometers, including
part of Georgia, North Carolina, and
Tennessee. No damage was noted and
only intensity IV - V effects were
observed in the epicentral region.

Moderately strong shocks occurred
near Charleston on November 19, 1952,
August 3, 1959, March 12, 1960, July 23,
1960, and October 23, 1967. The
1959 disturbance caused minor damage
(intensity VI) at Charleston, Summerville,
and Wadmalaw Island. Chimneys
were damaged, plaster cracked and fell,
walls cracked, and objects fell from
shelves. Cracked plaster was also
reported from Columbia, Johns Island,
Meggett, and Pierpont in South
Carolina and from Augusta, Georgia. The total
affected area was about 65,000 square kilometers.
The other earthquakes did not exceed
intensity V. The epicenter for the
March 12, 1960, tremor was off the
coast of South Carolina; Augusta, Georgia,
and Greensboro, North Carolina, also felt this
shock.

Moderate earthquakes also awakened
many residents (intensity V) at Anderson
on October 20, 1958, and caused
minor damage (cracked and fallen
plaster - intensity V) at Chesterfield on
October 26, 1959. Another shock on
April 20, 1964, was felt strongly
(intensity V) at Gaston and Jenkinsville.
Places in Fairfield, Florence, Lexington,
and Richland Counties also
reported the tremors. Several windows
were broken in Bowman and Orangeburg
(intensity V) from a
magnitude
3.4 earthquake on May 19, 1971. Two
small shocks, about 3 hours apart, were
felt in western South Carolina July 13,
1971. The main shock at 7:42 a.m. edt
was felt over approximately 5,200
square kilometers, including two places
in Georgia. The tremor was felt by all in Newry;
many were frightened by the loud Earth
noises (intensity VI), hanging objects
swung violently, and furniture shifted.